AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 38 is here! I managed to write this up before the week truly started! And it will be a busy week for me...
Please Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, and I do not intend to make any money off of this. Harry Potter is the intellectual property of J. K. Rowling , and I take no credit of it whatsoever.
I was also inspired by Demon Eyes Laharl's: THE RED KNIGHT! and also from Random-Fruitcake04's: CHOICES! I hope you check them out as well because they are genuinely very good stories.
Fate
Chapter 38 – Another Letter
Ronald Weasley's POV
January 31st, 1993 (Library Entrance)
It was Friday evening, and classes had just ended. Ron was waiting outside the library for Hermione to join him, just like he used to. Today was the first day that they were going to study together since their fight, and Ron was genuinely excited. He had missed her company, and her work ethic.
Things in the school were almost back to normal, and it was all because of the fact that the Heir had disappeared. Cedric and Max had been true to their words, and the younger Hufflepuffs were back in check. Professor Sprout had apparently held a house meeting, and it had not gone well for the bullies. The Ravenclaws became disinterested in the whole school rivalry thing, and they had once again turned their attention to their own books. The Gryffindors refused to back down however, they felt the need to avenge their fallen house-mate. And so they were still being aggressive, but since it was one against one once more, the Slytherins had grown a back bone as well. Just yesterday, a fight had broken out between the two Quidditch teams and many players from both sides had ended up in Pomfrey's care. Fred and George were amongst them, both supporting boils and other melodies. Ron would feel bad for his brothers, but from what he had heard, the twins had fired the first jinx.
"Weasley…" came a boy's voice from behind Ron, and it broke him out of his thoughts. Ron turned around and saw that Potter and Longbottom were the ones who had called out to him. For Merlin's sake. Where is Hermione?
"Potter" Ron greeted with a curt nod. "Longbottom. Where is Hermione? I've been waiting for five minutes? She is never late…"
"Stay away from her" Potter bit out, and Ron blinked at him. "We know that you're just using her…"
"Do you now?" Ron hissed, he could already feel his temper flaring. "And what makes you think that you can tell me what to do? Or Hermione, for that matter?"
"We're her friends, and you're the Heir of Slytherin" Longbottom puffed out his chest. This again?
"Do you have any proof?" Ron asked in a mocking tone, and both Gryffindors flushed red. "Did you kidnap my friends without my knowledge, and learn all of my darkest secrets when I wasn't looking? No? Then piss off…" Ron spat out, and Longbottom went crimson in the face.
"I can't believe that I ever trusted you" Potter grit out. "You're just another snake!" Ron cringed internally, that had hit a sore spot.
"Don't push me, Potter…" Ron warned, he was doing his best to remain calm. The last thing he wanted to do was repeat his mistake. "Back off right now. I won't ask you again… And as for trusting me, I'm not the one who plotted behind your back."
"You had Harry taken away from the Quidditch team" Longbottom accused.
"After you three betrayed me" Ron shot back. "Don't try and take the victim stance here, we all know what you three were planning. Just be grateful I didn't get you expelled…"
"Do you have any idea how important Quidditch is to Harry?" Longbottom asked in a hateful voice. "It's his only connection to his father, and you took that away from him." Ron blinked at Longbottom, he had no clue about that.
"Nev, don't" Potter told his friend in a calming voice. "He doesn't care about things like that, remember?" Ron cringed again, what was that supposed to mean?
"You don't anything about me" Ron managed to say.
"Believe me, I know that…" Potter glared at Ron. "But we're going to expose you, Weasley. Just you wait…"
"Don't threaten me, Potter" Ron warned again. "The last time you pissed me off, Snape saved you… I don't see him saving you again." Potter and Longbottom's eyes widened for a second, and Ron knew that they were scared of him. Good. Maybe they'll leave me alone now.
"Ron! Sorry for being so late, someone hid my book bag!" came Hermione's voice, and the girl stopped dead in her tracks when she saw her two best friends talking to Ron. "What's going on?" Hermione asked them in a worried tone.
"Seriously?" Ron spat at the two boys. "You hid her book bag so you could come here and tell me to stay away from her? You're pathetic…"
"Ron, don't say things like that" Hermione scolded, and then she turned to her best friends. "Is it true? You hid my bag?"
"Hermione, please don't be friends with him" Longbottom implored her. "He is not a good person…" Ron felt his face flush with anger, but he kept his mouth shut.
"So you did hide my bag!" Hermione snapped, and then she put her hands on her hips. "Friends don't do that to each other!"
"It's for your own safety" Potter told her.
"I can take care of myself, thank you very much" Hermione said haughtily, and Ron smirked. I have missed that. Here comes her angry pout. "And I don't need baby-sitters" Hermione pouted angrily, and Ron had to hold back his chuckle.
"We're just trying to look out for you" Longbottom said softly.
"Hermione, I'll be waiting inside" Ron told her, he didn't care to see all this drama. "I'll be in the usual spot, alright?"
"Okay, Ron" Hermione smiled at him. As Ron left, he could hear her telling the two boys off.
Ron went and sat down in their old spot, and he let out a tired sigh. Potter and Longbottom had no right to call him a bad person. Ron knew that he wasn't a bad person… Was he? He had done some really shady things recently, that was true, and right now he wasn't sure what kind of person he was. But he was certain that he wasn't a bad person. Maybe he was both good and bad…
"I'm sorry about them" Hermione said as she sat down, dragging him out of his thoughts.
"It's alright" Ron gave a reassuring smile, but even he didn't believe his words. Is this going to be a recurring thing? Am I going to get cornered by those two often?
"No, it isn't" Hermione huffed as she pulled out her Transfiguration homework. "They hid my things so that they could ambush you, and I don't approve of that. They were so immature!"
"Careful, Hermione" Ron chuckled. "We're in a library… And Madam Pince is already not happy with us."
"And whose fault is that?" Hermione smiled at him.
"Um… yours?" Ron cocked his head.
"It is not" Hermione giggled.
"I'm not the one who got caught eating snacks" Ron shrugged. "That was you."
"You snuck them in here" Hermione poked his left arm.
"I did no such thing" Ron denied as he pulled out a cinnamon bun from his bag. He tore it in half and offered one of the halves to Hermione. "Hungry?"
"You're incorrigible, Ronald Weasley" Hermione giggled, and then she shot quick looks around her. "And yes, I am a bit hungry" she admitted as she took half of the cinnamon bun. It's good to be back here again.
February 4th, 1993 (Sanctuary)
"This map is useless…" Pansy sighed in defeat. "It was a horrible idea, I'm sorry…"
"No, it wasn't" Millie told her, but she wasn't convinced. They had been trying to locate the Chamber's entrance for half a month now, and they had absolutely nothing to show for it. It was just impossible… There were so many hidden passages and secrets hidden within Hogwarts, and no map drawn by children was ever going to cut it. Even the Marauder's Map isn't helping me! This is impossible. We need to focus on the Heir, that's how we'll find the Chamber.
"C'mon, Pans" Tracey smiled at her. "You at least came up with an idea when none of us did. And because of the map, we at least know where to start our search."
"Actually…" Theo jumped in hesitantly. "We might have been wrong about the Chamber not being near the Slytherin common room." Everyone looked to him immediately.
"What are you on about?" Ron asked.
"There are pipes running underneath the Black Lake as well" Theo told them. "I was talking to the Bloody Baron, and he told that when the plumbing system was implemented, it covered all of Hogwarts. Turns out that it was a massive undertaking. There are pipes running for miles underneath Hogwarts and the Black Lake. All of the waste goes straight out of the property, or deep underneath it."
"Back to square one then" Blaise sighed.
"We'll never find the entrance at this rate" Daphne said to Ron. "People have been searching for it for hundreds of years, and none of them succeeded. What chance do we have?"
"Tom Riddle found it" Tracey provided. "If he can find it, then so can we."
"Tom Riddle is also the Dark Lord" Theo told her, and they all shuddered. "He is out of our league…" People searched for hundreds of years, but they failed. And yet, the Dark Lord finds it without any help? Something clicked in Ron's head at that, something that might solve their problems.
"He was a Parselmouth" Ron whispered, and his friends looked to him in a confused manner. "That's the difference between all of the others and him… He was a Parselmouth."
"You think being a Parselmouth shows you the entrance?" Millie asked him.
"Maybe…" Ron shrugged. "It's the only lead we have right now."
"The entrance might only show itself if you speak Parseltongue near it" Blaise leaned back in his seat. That could be it.
"Or it could be a blood ward?" Theo provided.
"What's a blood ward?" Tracey asked.
"It means that the entrance only opens if you provide some of your blood" Daphne answered for Theo. "That seems quite plausible to me. You can only get in if you have Salazar Slytherin's blood in your veins."
"Let's hope that's not the case…" Pansy said as she went a little pale.
"We might not have his blood, but we do have a Parselmouth" Blaise smirked at Ron.
"So how do we do this?" Ron asked Blaise. "Do you want me to go around the school talking in Parseltongue? Because that won't end well for me…"
"Don't be so dramatic" Theo chuckled. "We'll go out at night!"
"How?" Daphne asked Theo with a dead-look.
"Invisibility spell!" Pansy exclaimed. "Oh Ron, this is a going to be so much fun!" Oh no…
"What invisibility spell?" Daphne asked Ron, and he immediately felt a cold sweat. OH NO!
"Um…" Ron said sheepishly. "I know a spell to turn myself invisible…"
"You do?" Millie asked in awe.
"So do I" Theo shrugged.
"Me too" Blaise added.
"Ron taught us" Pansy smiled happily. This is where I die, isn't it?
"Ahem…" Tracey fake-coughed. "You taught them, and not us?"
"Why didn't you teach me?" Millie asked with a hurt voice.
"It's not like that…" Ron started but Tracey cut him off.
"Clearly he likes them more than us!" Tracey snapped, her face contorting in anger. The mood suddenly shifted in a negative direction, and Pansy was no longer excited.
"NO! It's not like that!" Ron told Tracey firmly, and then he looked to Daphne. The look on her face floored him… She looked betrayed, hurt, and angry at the same time. Fuck… "I taught Theo and Blaise because Blaise caught me using it!"
"It's always the same with you" Daphne said in a venomous tone. "You only ever tell us things after we catch you out." Damnit. That was a really bad excuse.
"I can teach you guys right now" Ron offered, he didn't know why he was panicking over Daphne's reaction.
"Save it" Daphne spat out. "I don't want your pity." Daphne stood up and marched away, and Ron got up to follow her. Before he chased after her, he shot Theo, Blaise, and Pansy an outraged look. Tracey was fuming, and Millie just looked hurt. For Merlin's sake… Ron left the Sanctuary as he chased after Daphne, and he caught her walking towards the moving staircase with a quickened pace.
"Daphne, please just wait a second" Ron begged her, and she turned around quickly. Her eyes were red, and she looked close to crying.
"You taught Theo and Blaise!" Daphne yelled as she jabbed an accusing finger in his chest. "And you taught Pansy? Pansy! But you didn't teach me? What, you like her more than you like me? Is that it?" she asked with an angry, frantic voice. Ron's stomach tightened at her words.
"No Daph, that's not it!" Ron told her as he tried to put a calming hand on her right arm, but she quickly slapped his hand away. Ron was stunned, he had never seen her so angry with him.
"You're the worst!" Daphne shrieked at him. "I thought that after Christmas… We were… You're the worst!" And then Daphne ran away towards the moving staircase, and Ron just stood there in a daze. What just happened? It's just a spell! Why is she acting like that?! Ron had quickly bottle up his anger, because he knew that if he didn't, he'd chase her down and start screaming at her.
"Hey!" came a female's voice from behind him. "You're not supposed to be up here! Get out!" Ron turned to see an angry pair of Gryffindor girls coming towards him. Ron recognized them from the Gryffindor Quidditch team, their names were Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet.
"What are you doing up here?" Alicia Spinnet demanded. "This is Gryffindor territory!" You two couldn't have picked a worse time to start this with me.
"It is?" Ron asked them innocently, and they narrowed their eyes on him. "I didn't know that, I swear."
"Don't lie" Angelina Johnson frowned at him. "Leave now, or we'll tell your brothers that you're sneaking around on the seventh floor."
"Go ahead" Ron told her. "I'll wait right here for them. Go on…" The girls glared angrily at him. I can't go back to the Sanctuary now. Damn these two bints. Ron spotted his friends coming around the corner, and luckily the Gryffindor girls were facing him. Ron's friends spotted the girls with Ron, and they instantly turned around and just walked back around the corner. Really?!
"Tell us what you're doing up here" Alicia Spinnet demanded from him.
"I was exploring the castle" Ron shrugged, he really needed a better excuse.
"Then explore somewhere else, Slytherin" Angelina Johnson ordered. Ron cocked his eyebrow at her, and then he turned around and walked away towards the staircase. She had given him an out, and he was going to take it. Bloody Gryffindors.
February 5th, 1993 (Midnight – Boys' Room)
"Ron, stop being so pig-headed" Blaise frowned.
"At least take one of us with you" Theo suggested. Ron was currently getting ready to go out into the castle to look for the Chamber's entrance. And he wanted to left alone. Tracey, Millie, and Daphne were terribly upset with Ron, and he just needed to clear his head.
"I want to be left alone" Ron told them firmly, and then he turned to face them. "Why did you tell them what I taught you?"
"We didn't, Pansy did" Theo defended himself.
"We just put our names in to clear ourselves of any blame" Blaise shrugged. Ron glared at Blaise, and the dark skinned boy cocked his eyebrow at Ron. Arseholes.
"I need some air, leave me be" Ron frowned as he went towards the door. Theo got up to follow him, but Blaise stopped him.
"Theo, leave him" Blaise said in an aloof voice.
"What? Are you serious?" Theo asked Blaise. "He could run into the Heir…"
"Good, let's hope that happens" Ron snarled, and then he left. He cast the Disillusionment Charm on himself, and then he left the common room. Once he was out of the common room, he took out the Marauder's Map. If I run into anyone, they will see a floating piece of parchment. Luckily, I'll see them coming because of this map.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good" Ron whispered as he tapped his wand on the parchment. The map revealed itself, and Ron studied it intensely. Snape was patrolling the first floor, Filch was on the moving staircases, McGonagall was on the third floor, Flitwick was on the fifth floor, and Lockhart was in the dungeons. I guess that they're taking this Heir business seriously. Is that why the Heir hasn't attacked in a while? They're hiding from the Professors? Ron then made his way towards the stairs leading out of the Dungeons. As he got closer to the stairs, he noticed that Lockhart was heading in his direction. Ron cast the Disillusionment Charm on the Marauder's Map, and then he hid in a dark corner.
"You're fine, Gilderoy" Lockhart muttered as he came into Ron's view. The man who was generally grinning looked absolutely terrified. He was pale in the face, and he had his wand aimed ahead of him. This is our D.A.D.A Professor… "You've fought Werewolves and Vampires, this is nothing" Lockhart whimpered as he slowly skulked forward. Ron just watched quietly as Lockhart crept past him, and Ron had to fight the urge to jump out and scare him. Merlin, that'd be so funny! Except he'd probably Curse me on instinct.
Once Lockhart had skulked off, Ron made his way out of the dungeons and towards the Great Hall. Getting into the Great Hall was easy enough, but he had no idea what he was supposed to do now. Do I just speak Parseltongue? And if so, what do I say? Merlin, this is insane. Ron creeped around the empty Great Hall, and then he drew in a sharp breath. Here goes nothing, let's just hope I'm speaking in Parseltongue. Alright, maybe I should've brought one of the boys.
"Show me the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets" Ron hissed, and nothing happened. "Open. Let me in. I am Heir of Slytherin. Salazar Slytherin. Blood-Purity. Dumbledore's saggy balls!" Ron hissed in frustration, but nothing happened. What do I do now? Ron opened the map and had a look at the patrols, Snape and McGonagall were heading towards the Great Hall. Oh shite. Ron quickly hid the map and ran towards the darkest corner he could find. Just as he hid himself, the giant doors swung open.
"I'm this close to cursing him, Severus" came McGonagall's strict voice. "If he ever 'advises' me on how to do my job again, I will turn him into the toad that he is."
"Please do, Minerva" Snape drawled. "Save us all from the trouble of dealing with that fool." The two Head of Houses came into Ron's view as they walked further into the Great Hall.
"Do you believe what he is saying, Severus?" McGonagall asked indignantly. "That he knows where the entrance to the Chamber is?" Ron's ears perked up at that, who were they talking about?
"If he knows where the Chamber is, then Albus Dumbledore is secretly the Dark Lord" Severus frowned deeply.
"Why Albus hired that fool is beyond me" McGonagall scowled. "I was teaching my fifth years about their upcoming O.W.L.S, and he burst into my classroom uninvited. And then he began handing out cakes. Cakes, Severus!"
"Why would he do that?" Snape asked as he shook his head. They both sound like they're… friends? This is… awesome.
"He claimed that they all needed a 'Pick-me up'…" McGonagall sighed. "Not to mention that he almost killed Pomona when he bumped into her and she fell down the stairs."
"I spent eight hours working on a potion for a client" Snape drawled. "I left it alone for five minutes, and when I came back, he had ruined the potion and melted my cauldron. That fool added Boomslang skin to an already volatile potion" Snape hissed.
"No…" Minerva gasped in disbelief.
"Indeed, Minerva" Snape said, the look on his face was terrifying. "When I questioned him, he grinned like an idiot and told me that I'd made a mistake somewhere. He claimed that some Shaman from Africa had taught him how to make a perfect Amortentia Potion, and that Boomslang skin was an essential ingredient for it… I almost killed him, Minerva."
"Gilderoy Lockhart" McGonagall frowned in disgust. "What a vile, incompetent man." Of course they're talking about Lockhart. I'm not even surprised. "Well, it seems that the Great Hall is clear. Let's travel down to the dungeons."
"I suggest we stay away from the dungeons" Snape drawled as they began to leave. "Lockhart is patrolling the dungeons tonight."
"I see" McGonagall sighed. "Let's go up to the seventh floor then, I want to be as far away from that fool as possible." Ron waited quietly as the Heads of Houses left, and then he came out of the corner. Bloody hell, I didn't know that they were friends. Why don't they step in and stop the rivalry between their houses? Ron took the map out and had a look. Filch was still patrolling the first floor, and it looked like he was pacing where Mrs. Norris died. Flitwick was in the dungeons now, and he was walking with Lockhart. McGonagall and Snape were heading up to the seventh floor. I'll go and check the third floor.
Ron headed up to the third floor with as much care as he could muster, it was at times like these when Ron really appreciated his paranoia. As Ron passed the library's entrance, he decided to try his luck inside. Ron crept into the massive dark room full of books, and he quickly checked his map. Nothing had changed except for the fact that Snape and McGonagall were now roaming the seventh floor. Ron went to the Forbidden Section first, this place would be his best guess in the library.
"Show me the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets" Ron hissed in the dark, and even he felt disturbed as the sound echoed throughout the library. Is that what I sound like? Merlin. "Open." Nothing happened, and Ron frowned deeply. This was a shite idea! He'd be doing this for years at this rate, Hogwarts was massive. And he would have to hiss at every single corner, and he wasn't even sure if Parseltongue was the key. There has to be a better way, how did the Dark Lord do it? There has to be some reason that he could it when no one else could. But what? Parseltongue is the only thing that I can think of.
Ron felt his spirit drown a little, he didn't even want to be out here. He wanted to be with Daphne, Tracey, and Millie. He wanted to fix his mistake and teach them the Disillusionment Charm. He wanted Daphne to not be so angry at him. He couldn't get her angry and hurt face out of his head, and it was driving him crazy. She was overreacting so much! It was just a damn spell, nothing else. And what did she mean by 'After Christmas'? Crazy bint… Ron let out a tired sigh as he decided to go back to the common room. His heart wasn't in this, and it was a stupid plan anyway.
February 6th, 1993 (Abandoned Classroom – Lunch)
Ron waited in the abandoned classroom for his siblings, and he wondered if these family therapy sessions were going to become a regular thing. Ginny had told him at breakfast that Percy wanted to see them all at lunch, and now here he was. Things with Tracey, Millie, and Daphne were still frosty. Millie wouldn't even look at him, Tracey glared at him non-stop, and Daphne kept making cold comments about anything that he said. It was annoying to say the least, but he didn't want to upset them further. So he decided to just take the abuse and not say anything back, they'd get over it eventually. Ron heard the door open, and he turned to see the twins enter.
"Hello" Ron greeted them, and they smirked at him.
"Little Ronnikins" Fred said pleasantly.
"All alone in an abandoned classroom" George joined in.
"Suspicious" they both said together, and Ron rolled his eyes. How do they do that?
"I got called here, same as you" Ron shrugged. "Do you know why?"
"I think Percy wants to have another yelling match" Fred replied.
"The last one did wonders" George chuckled. It put an end to our fighting at least. The door opened again, and this time both Ginny and Percy entered.
"Good, you're all here" Percy greeted them.
"Percy, what's this about?" Ginny asked him as she sat down on the same table as last time. "Some girls from my year wanted to have lunch with me" Ginny pouted. She's making friends. That's great news. Ron smiled softly to himself.
"I wanted to talk, just like last time" Percy smiled at Ginny, he was thinking the same thing as Ron.
"You want to fight?" Fred chuckled.
"We're in" George added.
"No, I don't want to fight" Percy sighed, and then he turned to Ron. "But we might…" What is he on about? "Ron, why were you up on the seventh floor yesterday?" Those two Gryffindors turned me in. Everyone looked to Ron in surprise.
"I was exploring the castle" Ron shrugged, he needed a new bloody excuse.
"Exploring the castle?" Fred asked with a furrowed brow.
"And in Gryffindor territory?" George asked.
"It's not Gryffindor property" Ron frowned at them. "I wasn't near your common room, it was just the seventh floor."
"But that is our territory…" Ginny jumped in.
"I don't see your name on it" Ron said childishly.
"Real mature" Ginny sniggered.
"Ginny, this is serious" Percy told her. "Ron, what's the real reason? And why were you so rude to those two girls?"
"Which girls?" George asked.
"Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson" Percy answered, but he kept his eyes on Ron. They weren't pleasant either.
"I wasn't that rude" Ron told Percy honestly. "They yelled at me and told me to 'Get out', I simply cocked an eyebrow and then I left."
"That's not what they told me" Percy frowned. "They said that you were extremely cold towards them, and that you weren't telling them the truth."
"I told them that I was exploring the castle, which I was" Ron sighed. "That's the truth Percy, I swear." Percy looked at him for a few seconds, and then he nodded.
"Did you find anything cool?" Ginny asked Ron excitedly.
"Nope" Ron smiled at her. "The seventh floor sucks."
"You suck" Ginny poked her tongue out at him.
"Real mature" Ron chuckled.
"Can we go and have some lunch now?" Fred asked Percy with a snobbish tone.
"Did you really have to call us in for this?" George asked. "You could've just asked Ron by yourself."
"Actually" Percy said slowly. "I was hoping that we could all talk again… About anything that might be bothering us." If only…
"I want to get my ears pierced" Ginny provided, she missed talking to her brothers.
"We can do that for you" Fred said excitedly.
"No" Percy and Ron said together.
"Oh look Fred, Percy has a clone" George laughed, and Percy flushed red.
"Oh please, I'm much better looking" Ron smirked, being in Slytherin gave you skills in banter. The twins sniggered like children at Percy, and Percy grimaced at Ron.
"Can we go now?" Fred asked Percy. "We have Quidditch Practice this evening."
"And we don't fancy practicing with empty stomachs" George added. There was sudden silence in the room because everyone knew that they didn't stand a chance anyway. Cormac McLaggen is a poor sub for Potter.
"Ron…" Ginny said softly, and Ron sighed because he knew what was coming. "Why won't you let Harry play Quidditch?" And there it is. Everyone looked to Ron, and the twins looked rather bothered.
"It helps Slytherin" Ron shrugged. And the twins frowned at him.
"I think you should let him play" Ginny said softly. "He looks really sad all the time… And we're losing because he isn't there… He's your friend, isn't he?" Ron took in a deep breath, and then he smiled at Ginny.
"No, he isn't" Ron said in a cold voice, and Ginny's eyes widened a little. "Keeping him off the team helps me far more than letting him play, so I won't let him play."
"Ron" Percy started. "Don't you think you're being a little… harsh?"
"You took away their detentions" Fred said hotly.
"Why not let him join the team again?" George asked.
"What do you think will happen to me if I let him play now?" Ron asked the twins. "I'll tell you. My own house will string me up by my feet… And as for the detentions, I took those away because Hermione apologized for her actions. Potter and Longbottom still haven't done that. Instead, they've been giving me warnings to stay away from Hermione."
"So you won't let him play because it benefits you?" Fred scowled at Ron.
"That's so selfish" George accused.
"Ron, you can be the bigger person here" Percy suggested. "Let him play in order to show him that he was wrong about you." Wrong about me? Ron felt his temper flare violently.
"I have given him far more than I've taken" Ron said as he stood up taller. "He wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for me." His siblings gave him guarded looks, they didn't like this new Ron. "I saved his life from that troll. I took the blame for him when he smuggled a Dragon out of Hogwarts. I gave him his Godfather back. I rescued him from his abusive family, and I committed a crime in doing so. I even stopped Lord Greengrass from expelling him for his actions. And the only thing that I've taken from him is Quidditch, and that's all he cares about. He is a selfish, self-entitled little shite. The Boy-Who-Lived" Ron spat out. "The Boy-Who-Betrayed is more like it."
"Mum and dad raised us to be better than that" Ginny frowned at Ron. "They'd want you to forgive Harry. They'd want you to be the better person."
"Being a better person doesn't help in this matter" Ron told her. "If I let him play, I'll have to sleep with one eye open for the rest of the school year. He brought this on himself, and he needs to deal with it."
"You brought this on him" George frowned deeply.
"I'm not the one who went behind his back" Ron grit out, why were they so adamant about defending Harry? "He planned to drug and kidnap one of my friends! That's a crime that can land you in Azkaban!"
"Harry isn't old enough to be sent to Azkaban" Fred argued.
"That's you're argument?" Ron frowned at Fred. "He isn't old enough so he should be allowed to get away with it?"
"What you did would land you in Azkaban as well" Percy said firmly.
"What I did happened in a Duel" Ron told Percy. "And it was never stated that physical contact isn't allowed."
"You're such a Slytherin" Fred shook his head in disappointment, and Ron nearly popped a blood vessel.
"Yeah! I am!" Ron exclaimed. "And I'm sick of apologizing for it." Ron decided enough was enough, he was done with this conversation. So he just walked off, and he ignored Percy telling him to come back. Harry fucking Potter… If a Slytherin student had tried to pull off the same stunt that he did, they'd be expelled without a second thought!
February 6th, 1993 (After Dinner)
Ron stared at the Golden Trio leaving the Great Hall, and he felt a pang of guilt. The conversation with his siblings had been replaying in his head all day, and it was getting to him. He had told his siblings that he was punishing Potter because it was serving Slytherin, but the truth was quite different. Yes, Potter's punishment was helping Slytherin a lot, but it was also helping Ron a lot. Some nasty part of Ron was enjoying watching the boy-who-lived squirm and sulk around. It gave Ron a sense of justice… and power. He had put Dumbledore's golden boy in his place, and that was worth more to Ron than Slytherin house's gain.
"Mr. Weasley" Snape's voice drawled, and Ron turned to face the Potions Master. "The Headmaster wishes to speak with you, now." With that, Snape billowed away. Ron shot his friends a look before following after Snape. They walked up to Dumbledore's office in silence, and Ron preferred it that way. He liked how Snape only spoke when he felt the need to, unlike Lockhart who never shut up. "Acid Pops" Snape said to the gargoyle, and Ron cringed. I hate Acid Pops. "You know where to go from here" Snape said before leaving him alone. Ron walked up the stairs and knocked on Dumbledore's door.
"Come in" came Dumbledore's merry voice, and Ron entered the room. "Ah, Ronald. I was hoping that was you" Dumbledore said with twinkling eyes.
"Good evening, Headmaster" Ron smiled at the old man, Dumbledore wasn't so bad. The old man had helped him quite a lot after Snape had torn him to shreds.
"Take a seat, Ronald" Dumbledore said as he gestured a seat in front of his clawed-desk. Ron sat down, and then he shot a quick look to Fawkes. The Phoenix was asleep. "I see that you've missed Fawkes."
"Not missed, just curious" Ron smiled at the beautiful creature. "How long does he usually sleep for?"
"Oh, it can be for a few short hours" Dumbledore chuckled. "Or it can be for days. But he is always awake when he is needed. Lemon Drop, Ronald?" Dumbledore offered, and Ron smiled at the sweets.
"Thank you, Headmaster" Ron said as he accepted one. Ron quickly popped it into his mouth, and he immediately felt soothed. This feeling again? That's twice now that this has happened.
"How have you been, Ronald?" Dumbledore smiled at the red haired boy, his eyes dancing in merriment.
"I have been doing well, Headmaster" Ron shrugged, he felt so relaxed. "There are a few bumps every now and then, but nothing that I can't handle."
"I see, that is good to hear" Dumbledore rubbed his chin, and Ron got the feeling that Dumbledore knew more about Ron than he was letting on. "I hear that you and Miss. Granger are friends again, this is wonderful news." That it is, but it's none of your business.
"She apologized for what she did" Ron told Dumbledore. "And I apologized for what I did… I missed her." Why did I say that? Ron, get a grip on yourself! "Headmaster, is there anything in particular that you needed?"
"Yes, there is actually" Dumbledore smiled softy, and then he pulled out a letter from his robes. "This is from your mother, Ronald. She asked me to deliver this to you personally." Ron stared at the letter in silence, his mother had sent that. Ron suddenly felt trepidation because of it, what did it say? Was she going to apologize? Or tell him off? With her, it can go either way.
"I see" Ron said lamely. Dumbledore leaned forward and handed the letter to Ron, and Ron quickly put it in his robes.
"Are you not going to read it?" Dumbledore asked.
"Not here" Ron replied quickly.
"I understand" Dumbledore said softly, he looked disappointed. "Then that is all, Ronald. Good night."
"Good night, Headmaster" Ron said as he stood up. As Ron was leaving the Office, he could feel his heart beating irregularly. She sent me a letter… I haven't spoken to her or dad since before Christmas. And the last time we spoke… Well, we didn't speak much.
Ginny Weasley's POV
February 6th, 1993 (After Dinner)
Ginny watched as her brother followed Professor Snape out of the Great Hall, and she frowned. She didn't like Snape one bit. Snape had made so many of her fellow year-mates cry during his classes, the man was a bully. But Ron seemed to like the Potions Master… Ginny couldn't even begin to understand why. All she knew was that her brother had changed a lot since he had started Hogwarts… He had become colder, and more calculating. And sometimes even downright scary… Ronnie always had a temper on him, but now it was different. It was more vindictive, and even cruel. But she knew that despite all of these changes, Ronnie loved her more than anything.
She had come to understand why he had gotten so angry with her. She had been missing all day, and instead of telling him what had happened, she had told him to go away. He was just worried for her, and she was nothing but nasty to him. And yet he had forgiven her in a heartbeat. The moment she had apologized to him, he had forgiven her. That reminded her that Ronnie hadn't changed much at all. When they were younger, she'd always find a way to upset him. But when she apologized and gave him some attention, he'd forget all about it and just forgive her.
Ginny followed her fellow Gryffindors up the stairs, and towards the portrait of the Fat Lady. As she was going up, she spotted Hermione Granger talking to Harry animatedly. Harry… Ginny felt a blush come onto her face, she was so close to him! Harry laughed at something that Hermione said, and Ginny felt a strong pang of jealousy. They're awfully close. Are they more than friends? Does she like him? Ginny didn't really like Hermione that much, the bushy haired girl had spied on her after all. Well not spied, looked out for was more like it. Ron had convinced Ginny that Hermione was only trying to make sure that Ginny was settling into school without any problems. Images of Tom popped into her mind, and she quickly cast them out. Ron had every right to be worried, and he was right.
A thought occurred to Ginny suddenly, and she pondered about it in her mind. Ron and Hermione were friends again… Ginny had heard Ron tell his friends during breakfast that Hermione had apologized to him, and now he had forgiven her. Just like he forgave me! That's it! Ginny smiled to herself as an idea formed in her head. Ron had forgiven Hermione, and he might forgive Harry too. If Harry apologized for what he did, Ron would forgive him. That's what Ronnie did, he forgave people who apologized. That's what he said today as well. He took away their detentions when Hermione apologized… He might let Harry play if Harry apologizes! Ginny smiled proudly as she thought about her plan. Harry would finally notice her if her plan worked!
Once they all got inside the common room, Ginny quickly made her way up to her room. She got out a fresh set of clothes from her trunk, and then she quickly went into the bathroom to take a shower. She wanted everything to be perfect when she approached Harry with her plan. She knew from Witch Weekly that looking nice, and smelling nice, was the best way to make a wizard notice you. As she finished up her shower and dried herself off, she gazed into the mirror. She took her time in making her hair look nice after she dressed, and she only left when she looked perfect. Ginny then made her way down to the common room with a confident stride, and she was glad to see the Golden Trio sitting alone by the fire. They seemed to be discussing something in hushed whispers, and Ginny suddenly felt a pang of doubt. What If I'm just wasting my time? What if Harry doesn't like me interrupting him? Maybe I shouldn't get involved at all… Ginny quickly shook her head clear. She was a Weasley, and a Gryffindor. She could do this!
Ginny took small steps towards the Trio, and they didn't even notice her approaching. They were talking about something with complete concentration, and Ginny could only wonder about whatever they were discussing. Alright, Ginevra. You can do this. You can talk to him. Ginny felt her face flush red as she finally got close to them, and then the blood drained from her face. Her mind went numb, and she lost all feeling in her extremities. Harry was holding Tom in his hands… Ginny blinked at the black Diary, she could never mistake it for any other diary. This was Tom… and Harry was holding him.
"Ginny?" Neville said as he spotted her, and she quickly looked to him. Why do they have Tom?! Pure panic bubbled in her stomach, and it took all of her strength to not vomit from the anxiety she was feeling. "Did you need something?" Neville asked with a smile, and they looked at her with smiles.
"Um… I wanted to…" Ginny stuttered meekly, what was she supposed to do?! Did Tom tell Harry everything about me? "I wanted my broom…" Ginny lied lamely.
"Oh" Harry nodded slowly. "I'll go and get it now…" He looked slightly saddened because of her request, no doubt it was due to his own situation. And just like that, Harry got up and left for his dorm. This left Ginny with Hermione and Neville. There was a short awkward pause between the three, but Ginny was panicking too hard to care. Tom knew everything about her! He knew about her feelings for Harry! And he knew that she was behind the attacks! What if he told Harry? Had he told Harry? No… If he had, Harry wouldn't even speak to her.
"You look nice today Ginny" Hermione smiled at her, and Ginny forced a meek smile in return.
"Thanks…" Ginny muttered. "I hear that you're friends with Ronnie again… That's good." Neville's smile faltered a bit, but Hermione's smile widened.
"Yes, we made up" Hermione nodded. "And I see that you made up with him too. I think that's wonderful, he missed you dearly." Ginny nodded meekly, she didn't really care about Ron right now. She could lose Harry if Tom told him everything… She had to do something about this.
"Here, Ginny" came Harry's voice from behind her. Ginny turned around and she saw Harry standing there with her broom, and he didn't have Tom with him anymore.
"Thanks…" Ginny said as she took her broom, and then she left as quickly as she could. Ginny went straight to her dorm, and once she was inside, she hopped into her bed and closed the curtains. Ginny sat on the bed with her head in her hands, her breathing had become shallow and strained. Harry has Tom. Why does he have Tom? I have to do something before Tom tells Harry everything… I need to get Tom back.
Ronald Weasley's POV
February 8th, 1993 (Greengrass Manor – Lunch)
Ron followed Lord Greengrass towards the dining room, it was time to take a break from their work. Ron could barely concentrate on chess today, and even Lord Greengrass could see it. But Ron was having trouble caring about that, he had far more pressing concerns. For one, there was the letter from his mother. Ron was still carrying it around in his robes, and he hadn't read it. Ron knew that he was being a coward, but he didn't care. What if she wrote something hurtful? What if she was still furious with him? Ron wanted to avoid the feelings that those two events would bring.
Secondly, Daphne Greengrass was starting to do his head in. Tracey and Millie were already coming back around, and Ron had even started showing them the spell. But Daphne was still angry with him, and she made sure that he knew it. In all honesty, Ron was just about done with her attitude. Had he ever pried into her secrets? No, he hadn't. But she loved sticking her nose into his, and when she found something that she didn't like, she'd make his life miserable. She always expected things to go her way simply because she was who she was, and that irked Ron. Ron had to fight tooth and nail to get what he wanted, whereas she simply had everything because her father was Lord Greengrass. And it killed Ron that he was so jealous of her…
"Ron?" Lady Greengrass called, and Ron blinked at her.
"Yes, Lady Greengrass?" Ron gave her a forced smile. He was sitting on the dining table with a plate of food in front of him. Wow. I walked in, took a seat, and made a plate of food without even realizing it. I need to wake up.
"Are you alright? You look quite troubled about something" Lady Greengrass smiled.
"Everything is fine, I'm just a bit out of sorts" Ron lied.
"What did my daughter do?" Lord Greengrass sighed. How the…?
"My Lord?" Ron asked with a sheepish smile. "Daphne didn't do anything…"
"Ron, every time you have a school related problem, or a problem with your friends, you tell me" Lord Greengrass frowned. "The only time you hide things from me is when they involve your family or my daughter. So I'm going to venture a guess, and say that my daughter and you are fighting again. Am I wrong?" What the fuck? He knows me that well?
"Ron? Is this true?" Lady Greengrass asked with a concerned look.
"Why do you two fight so much?" Tori asked Ron with a mocking smile. "Maybe you shouldn't be friends."
"Tori, behave" Lady Greengrass warned. "Or I will send you upstairs." Tori pouted at that, but she didn't argue.
"Are you going to tell me? Or should I send you back to Hogwarts?" Lord Greengrass asked in a firm voice. "Because I'm not going to waste my time with you when you can't even summon an ounce of focus."
"Husband…" Lady Greengrass frowned. He's right. I'm just wasting both of our time at this rate.
"She's really angry with me" Ron sighed. "And all because I didn't teach her a spell that I taught Theo, Blaise, and Pansy."
"Which spell?" Lord Greengrass furrowed his brow.
"The Disillusionment Charm" Ron replied.
"The spell you used to discover Potter's little scheme" Lady Greengrass remembered. "Why did you teach Daphne?"
"I only taught Theo and Blaise because Blaise caught me sneaking around the castle" Ron shrugged. "I taught Pansy because I wanted to cheer her up after I caught Malfoy cornering her. I didn't mean to hide this from anyone… But Daphne is acting like I did it on purpose. That I did it to hurt her…"
"What about Tracey and Millicent?" Lord Greengrass asked. "Did you teach them?"
"I'm teaching them now" Ron told his mentor. "To make amends… They were upset, but they accepted my offer. But Daphne won't even accept… And she keeps pushing my buttons. I don't know what to do about her… Or how to make it up to her."
"Then don't" Lord Greengrass said with dead-serious face. Huh? "Ignore her tantrum…"
"Sebastian?" Lady Greengrass asked softly.
"Daphne is behaving like a spoilt child" Lord Greengrass told Ron. "She has a tendency to do that when she doesn't get what she wants. I had hoped that she'd grow out of it by now, but I can see that my hope was misplaced." Merlin. That's a little too harsh. Daphne may act spoiled, but she never lets her friends down. And what does he mean by 'gets what she wants'? She wants to learn that spell, and I'm offering to teach her.
"Sebastian" Lady Greengrass smiled at her husband. "If Ron ignores her, their friendship might become strained."
"She needs to learn that things don't just get handed to you" Lord Greengrass told his wife. "It is an important lesson for a Slytherin child to learn. No, scratch that. It is an important lesson for any child to learn." I think I just made things worse for Daphne…
"I can't just ignore her, my Lord" Ron smiled, hoping to fix his mistake. "She is one of my closest friends."
"It was just a suggestion, Ron" Lord Greengrass said with an expressionless mask. "But if you want this behavior to stop, then you need to show her that you won't stand for it."
"Husband, a word?" Lady Greengrass asked, her smile was kind off terrifying. Lord Greengrass sighed, and then he nodded. "Children, go upstairs. Now." Ron and Tori immediately got up and left, they didn't want to be anywhere near these two right now. More importantly, they didn't want to be near Lady Greengrass. Once they were upstairs, Tori smiled widely at Ron.
"You just made my parents fight" Tori chuckled.
"And that's a good thing?" Ron asked her with a confused look.
"Of course!" Tori said loudly. "Now, let's go to my room. Have you seen my room, Ron?"
"No, I haven't" Ron sighed as he followed after her. She was skipping ahead happily, and Ron was extremely confused. What's wrong with her? Who gets this excited when their parents fight? Ron entered Tori's bedroom after her, and he was stunned. Her bedroom was nicer than his entire house… Her bed was a bed that only royalty would sleep on, and it was bright pink. The walls were pink as well, and they were covered with posters of the Weird Sisters. There were around fifty stuffed toys sitting in the far left corner, and they all looked brand new. The contents of this room are more expensive than everything my family owns… Ron felt a sudden pang of shame, but he quickly pushed it in.
"What do you think?" Astoria smiled at him.
"It's very… grand" Ron smiled back. "And pink…"
"What? You don't like pink?" Astoria grinned at him. "You're such a boy…"
"Well yes, I am…" Ron blinked at her. "It's a lovely room, Astoria. I meant no offense."
"Good, now come on!" Tori exclaimed as she jumped on her bed. Ron walked up to the bed, and Tori patted the spot next to her. Ron sighed as he sat down next to her, and she quickly closed the distance between them. Why is she sitting so close to me?
"Tori… Personal space, have you heard of it?" Ron asked slowly, and she chuckled.
"I have" she shrugged. "But I generally don't care about it. I'm not bothering you, am I?" Yes, you are.
"Not at all" Ron smiled at her, and she smiled slyly.
"You're lying" she giggled, and then she put some distance between them. "How did you meet Daphne?" Ron blinked at her.
"We're in the same house" Ron replied. "She approached me, I yelled at her, and then I apologized. And we slowly became friends."
"Really?" Tori cocked her head. "So you two started fighting from the moment you met? Wow… Your friendship sounds exhausting."
"It can be…" Ron said slowly. What's she up to?
"Personally, if I had a friendship like that" Tori smiled innocently. "I'd cut it off…" What?
"Cut it off?" Ron repeated, and Tori nodded.
"Why not?" Tori shrugged. "You two are always fighting each other, and it sounds terribly annoying to deal with."
"It can be, but we do more than just fight each other" Ron defended Daphne. "We laugh, make jokes, study together, eat together, and she knows more about me than all of my friends combined. And she would never betray me. That's far more important than a few fights…" What is her problem with Daphne?
"Then you should remind her of that" Tori smiled happily, and Ron blinked at her.
"What?" Ron asked with a confused look.
"Show her how much you value your friendship with her" Tori said. "She'll come around instantly."
"Oh…" Ron felt his face flush a little. He thought that she was trying to sabotage her sister's friendship with him. Tori smiled in a knowing way, and Ron gulped. She's the devil!
"Did I just outsmart the famous chess player?" Tori giggled mischievously. "I think I did!"
"No one will believe you" Ron shot back hotly.
"It's alright" Tori smiled arrogantly. "I want to remember this for myself. And I want you to remember it." Damn, she got me this time.
"Thank you, Tori" Ron smiled genuinely, and Tori blinked at him. Her smile faded slowly and her cheeks became rosy.
"It's okay…" Tori said as she looked away from him. "Just tell Daphne what you told me, she'll love it." I should make this conversation a bit more lighthearted. Neither one of us is very good with emotions, judging by her reaction.
"Aw" Ron cooed, and Tori frowned at him. "Little Tori loves her big sister!"
"Nuh-uh" Tori made a face.
"It's alright" Ron grinned. "I'll always remember this." Tori's cheeks turned red as she pouted angrily. Ron was about to laugh, but Tori threw a fluffy pillow straight in his face. Ron picked up the pillow and smiled mischievously. "Is that how it is? Fine, I'll give you a head start… For your sister's sake." Tori's eyes widened, and she smiled brightly. And then she squealed and ran out of the room as Ron chased after her.
February 8th, 1993 (Sanctuary – After Dinner)
Ron stared at the unopened letter, and he chewed his fingernails. He had been sitting in this exact spot for the last five hours, and he still couldn't find the courage to open his mother's letter. Marty had brought him supper at his request, but Ron had barely touched his food. Why can't I just open it? Merlin, I'm such a coward. C'mon, Weasley. Just do it already. Ron picked up the letter and he undid the wax seal on the back, but then he put the letter back down. I'm an actual little girl. Ron suddenly heard the door swing open, and he almost yelped in surprise. But it turned out to be his friends, and they were shocked to see him.
"Ron?" Tracey asked. "When did you get back?"
"Around five hours ago" Ron sighed.
"And you've been in here this entire time?" Blaise asked in a disinterested voice.
"Yes…" Ron drawled. "What are you guys doing in here?"
"We were just going to throw some spells at the dummies" Pansy smiled at him. "Ron, are you alright?"
"I'm fine" Ron lied. "Don't let me stop you guys." His friends nodded slowly, except for Daphne. She was just staring at him… And Ron knew that she knew that something was wrong. Damn that Greengrass insight. Is she going to analyze me like her father did? Daphne then followed the rest of her friends to the dummies, and Ron breathed out in relief.
Ron slowly pocketed the letter, and then he sank back into his chair. He still had to make up with Daphne, and he didn't even know how to start. Tori's advice was solid, but how was he meant to even start that conversation? Maybe I should corner her like she cornered me during the Yule Break. Or should I ignore her like Lord Greengrass suggested? No… Lady Greengrass and Tori both disagreed with him. Damnit, why do I even care? She's just going to get mad at me again! Ron released a tired breath and rubbed his forehead, this was so stupid. He needed to focus on the Heir, and not on Daphne. Ugh… But I don't want her to be angry with me! I want her to be friendly with me. Like she was during the Yule Break. Everything was perfect between us when no one was around. Ron closed his eyes and sank further into his chair.
"What's wrong with you?" came Daphne's voice, and Ron opened his eyes and frowned. She was standing right in front of him with her arms beneath under her chest.
"Hello to you too, Daphne" Ron drawled.
"Why are sulking around?" Daphne huffed. Even when she's upset she looks out for me. Ron fought the urge to smile, he didn't want to piss her off.
"I've got a lot on my mind" Ron shrugged, and Daphne narrowed her eyes on him.
"Is it something to do with that letter?" Daphne asked in a cold tone. So she saw it… They probably all saw it then. But she just can't help herself.
"Yes, and no" Ron shrugged again.
"Stop shrugging at me" Daphne snarled, and Ron put up his hands in surrender. Daphne then turned to leave, but Ron grabbed her left hand and stopped her. "Don't touch me."
"Aren't you going to ask me who sent the letter?" Ron asked, and he didn't let go of her hand.
"What would be the point?" Daphne asked in return. "You probably won't tell me."
"It was my mum" Ron told her, and Daphne blinked at him. Wish me luck, Tori. I'm taking your advice.
"What… what did it say?" Daphne asked, why did he just tell her that?
"I don't know, I haven't read it yet" Ron replied. "I'm… I'm too worried that it will be something bad… Like at the start of last year…" Daphne's eyes widened for a second, but then she regained her composure.
"Why are you telling me this? You never tell anyone these kinds of things" Daphne said softly.
"I tell you…" Ron smiled softly. "You know more about me than anyone else in this group. And I know that you will never tell anyone because that's not who you are." Agh! I said it! Tori, I fucking did it. It took every ounce of willpower in Ron to not do something stupid; like smile too widely, or visibly cringe at saying something so sappy. Daphne just blinked at him over and over again, she had no idea what Ron was up to.
"Do… do you want me to read it… with you?" Daphne asked in an uncertain voice. No. But if that's what it takes to stop this fight, I'll do it.
"Sit" Ron told her, and Daphne sat down beside him. Ron managed a quick look at his other friends, and he saw them look away quickly. Busy-bodies.
"Why are you worried about the letter?" Daphne whispered. "I thought you and your mother were getting along…"
"We were" Ron whispered back. I already told Blaise, so I might as well tell her. "But then I did what I did to Potter, and she was furious with me. She…" Ron swallowed. "She hit me… really hard…" Daphne let out a soft gasp.
"Ron… I'm so sorry" Daphne put her hands over his gloved one.
"It's okay… I deserved it…" Ron sighed, and Daphne frowned.
"What about Potter then? Did any adult hit him for what he was trying to do?" Daphne asked.
"I don't know" Ron replied honestly, and then he drew in a sharp breath. "And since you now know why I'm so worried, let's read the letter…" Ron took the letter out of his pocket and held it in front of himself. But he couldn't open it, all he did was stare at it. Daphne figured out what was wrong, so she took the letter from his hands. He didn't resist, and she began opening it.
Ronald,
This is mum. I know we haven't spoken to each other for a while, not since before Christmas. I've been thinking about what happened every day, and I'm so sorry. I have never been more sorry for anything in my life. I'm sorry that I struck you. I'm sorry that I yelled at you. I'm sorry that I never asked for your side of things. But the thing that I'm most sorry about is the fact that I had no idea you were capable of being so cruel.
You are my son, and I should know everything about you. But I don't. And it breaks my heart, Ronnie. I am not going to try and deny the fact that what Harry did was wrong, but I will also not deny the fact that what you did was wrong. What Harry did or didn't do is between Sirius and him, and what you did or didn't do is between us. And I will not excuse your actions. I cannot excuse your actions. I am your mother, and it is my duty to raise you right.
Your father and I have talked about this for almost two months now, and we have come to a decision. We will be requesting for a Re-Sorting at the start of the next school year. And if you refuse, then we will pull you out of school. This is for your own good, Ronnie. I have been helplessly watching you change for the last one and a half years, but that stops now. I will not lose you. Your father and I will not lose you. We have been discussing your behavior every single day, and he has agreed with me on this. We are doing this with your best interests in our hearts.
You may remain friends with your current friends, but you will be removed from Slytherin. We will not let you live in a house that encourages the Dark Arts. We will not let you live in a house that encourages hatred against those born in the Muggle World. We will not let you live in a house that encourages hate over love. I know this isn't what you want, but this is for the best. Please do not be angry with us. We love you, Ronnie. And we can't lose you.
Love,
Mum
By the time Ron finished reading the letter, his mind had already started to go blank. It was over. He was going to be Re-Sorted, or he was going to be pulled out of school. There was no middle ground… Ron knew his parents, and so he knew that they would follow through with this. It was truly over. He'd lose his house. He'd lose his friends. And there was nothing that he could do about this.
"Ron…" came Daphne's voice from beside him, and he slowly turned to face her. Her eyes were already getting red from unshed tears, and she looked like she was in so much pain. Ron knew that he should be feeling that pain as well, but he wasn't. He couldn't even think. "What are you going to do?" Daphne squeaked, and Ron just stared at her.
"Hey, are you guys alright?" came Tracey's voice, and both Ron and Daphne looked to her. She was standing behind the couch, and the rest of their friends were behind her.
"Daphne? What's wrong?" Millie asked slowly. "Why are you crying?" Daphne looked to Ron, and he gave her a slow nod. Might as well say my goodbyes now… Daphne handed the letter to Tracey, and everyone gathered around her to read it. Ron just stared at the small fireplace, the crackling fire was helping him stay calm. Well not calm, it was helping him stay a little focused. His mind was being pulled in a hundred different directions.
What would happen to his friends once he was gone? They'd be forced to deal with Slytherin politics without him. They'd be forced to deal with Malfoy without him. That platinum haired bastard would go after them for sure, and Ron would be in another house. He already knew that he couldn't afford to be pulled out of school because would be the end for his mission. And what did moving houses mean for his mission? The Sorting Hat was sure that Slytherin House was the best choice for his success, and Ron agreed with it now. Being in Slytherin had given him so many advantages once he had gotten over his hatred for the 'snakes'. Would he lose those advantages now? Would he lose his alliance with the Greengrass Family? All of his hard work was about to be undone, and he was powerless to stop it.
"Merlin…" came Theo's voice. "How do we fight this?"
"We can't…" Blaise replied. "They are his parents, and we have no say in the matter."
"No say in the matter?" Tracey muttered.
"This is wrong" Pansy whimpered. "We have to stop this."
"We can't…" Blaise repeated, he sounded tired.
"I can talk to my father" Daphne sniffled. "He can help us."
"Legally speaking, he cannot" Blaise said as he dropped on a couch. "He is only Ron's employer, he has no right to say anything against this."
"No…" Millie sniffled.
"We have to do something, Blaise" Daphne snapped at him. "Why are you shutting down everything we say?"
"I'm not shutting down anything…" Blaise sighed. "I'm just telling you that this is over… I know it, Ron knows it, and you all need to as well. We can't stop his parents from making their decisions…"
"We can if they're trying to take him away from us" Tracey snapped.
"Tracey… Don't…" Theo muttered. "Blaise is right… There is only one thing that we can do now."
"What? What do we do?" Millie asked him quickly.
"Ron has to convince them…" Theo said softly as he sat down. "Ron? Are you listening?" Ron looked away from the fire and just stared at Theo, his weedy friend looked… scared.
"Ron?" Pansy whimpered again. "Say something…"
"My parents…" Ron started softly. "Once they decide to do something, they do it. That's the kind of people they are, and I… I know that they won't change their minds…" They don't want me to become a little Death-Eater… I should have never opened that letter… "My time in Slytherin is finished…" Ron muttered as he looked down at his gloved hand. Ron could hear the girls whimpering and sniffling, and he could feel that Theo and Blaise were equally shaken. But this is was it… His parents were going to take everything away from him… Everything that he had worked so hard for…
Harry Potter's POV
February 9th, 1993 (Lunch)
Harry frowned when he saw the Gryffindor Quidditch team huddled together, they were no doubt planning some strategy. Cormac McLaggen was arguing with Wood about something, and Wood looked ready to clock him. It should be me sitting beside Wood. Not Cormac. Harry ached to play Quidditch again… He even missed the absurd amount of training that Wood had been putting them through. Did dad train so hard when he was seeker?
"Harry?" Hermione called to him. "Aren't you going to eat?" Harry looked to her, and she was smiling at him. She doesn't want me to think about Quidditch. Harry managed a weak smile as he began to eat his chicken drumstick.
"Have you found anything about the Heir, or the Chamber?" Harry asked Hermione.
"No…" Hermione shook her head. "Ron hasn't shared his findings with me yet…"
"Did you ask him?" Neville asked her.
"No" Hermione sighed. "We just became friends again. I don't want him to think that I'm just using him."
"Who cares about what he thinks…" Harry said bitterly. "He's just a snake…"
"Harry, don't" Hermione frowned a little. There was a short pause amongst the Trio, and Harry ate his chicken quietly.
"Did you find out anything about T.M. Riddle?" Hermione suddenly asked the boys.
"Only that he was a prefect, and Head Boy" Neville shrugged. "Oh… and he was in Slytherin."
"Really? Slytherin?" Hermione blinked. "That can't be right… He was a Muggle-Born…"
"We're thinking that maybe he was a Half-Blood" Harry added in. Harry wasn't going to lie to himself, he had been disappointed to learn about Riddle's house. What a waste.
"And how did you learn all of this?" Hermione asked softly.
"We snuck into Filch's archive room…" Neville sighed. "It took ages, but we were able to find a list of students and their houses. We went back fifty years and found him. That's how we learned about his titles and house."
"What about the Diary?" Hermione asked. "Did you get rid of it like we discussed?"
"Not yet…" Harry sighed. "I just… I need some time. I'll get rid of it soon…" They had planned to get rid of the Diary because it was clearly useless, and because Neville had convinced Hermione that someone had thrown it away for a reason. But Harry wasn't ready to let go of it just yet… His instincts told him to keep it.
"Harry" Neville said softly. "There is nothing in that Diary. It's completely empty, and Hermione has cast a dozen different 'Reveal Spells' on it. It's just a Diary… nothing more."
"Then why do you want me to get rid of it?" Harry asked with a frown.
"Because it might be Cursed or something…" Neville sighed. "Some Curses are too strong to be found so easily. Someone threw that Diary away for a reason, and we shouldn't wait to discover that reason."
"Neville is right, Harry" Hermione said haughtily. "Just leave it in Myrtle's bathroom…"
"Not yet…" Harry said in a whisper. Harry saw movement from the corner of his eyes, and he looked to the entrance of the Great Hall. Who he saw put a grim frown on his face. Weasley. Ron Weasley had just arrived to lunch late, and he looked haggard. His hair was made up in that pompous way that he liked, but his skin was pale and he had dark circles under his eyes. Harry quickly looked to the Slytherin table, and he saw that Weasley's friends were already there. Why is he alone?
"Harry, stop it" came Hermione's voice, and he looked to her. She was just staring at him with a serious look.
"Stop what?" Harry asked with a frown.
"I can see you staring at him" Hermione narrowed her eyes. "He hasn't done anything to you… today…"
"Why is he so late?" Neville asked, and Harry smiled. At least I can count on Neville to use his brain.
"Probably coming back from the Chamber…" Harry grit out.
"And now I'm ignoring you both" Hermione huffed, and then she turned her plate away from them. Whatever… We'll prove that he is the Heir, and then she can see for herself. The Trio ate their lunch quietly, and Harry shot looks over at Weasley every now and then. When Harry shot his fifth look over, his breath hitched for a second. Weasley was staring right at him… Their eyes locked, and Harry felt a cold sweat break out in his armpits. Ron wasn't glaring at him, or even frowning at him. He was just watching Harry… Harry slowly looked back down at his plate, he had seen Weasley show that demeanor once before. It was right before he attacked Harry…
"Weasley is staring at us…" Neville suddenly muttered. Hermione slowly turned around to have a look, and then she looked back at them.
"Why is he doing that?" Hermione whispered. "What did you two do?"
"We didn't do anything…" Harry frowned at her.
"I don't believe you for a second" Hermione frowned back. "Now tell me what you did."
"We didn't do anything" Neville implored. "I swear it…" Harry slowly looked back at the Slytherin table, and he saw that Weasley was now looking down at his plate. Blaise Zabini was talking to him about something, and Weasley was just quietly listening. What's going on with him? Something has to be wrong. Why was he so late? The bell rang suddenly, and Harry grimaced. He was missing for the entire Lunch Break. I know that it's Sunday, but it's still suspicious!
"C'mon… Let's go" Hermione said as she stood up. "I want to get started on our History of Magic homework, and you two should join me."
"I'll join you" Neville smiled at her, and she beamed in return.
"Really?!" Hermione exclaimed excitedly, and Neville nodded.
"I think we should all do homework together from now on" Neville said firmly, and he looked to Harry. What is he on about?
"Um… sure…" Harry muttered, and Hermione looked ready to die from excitement.
"This is great" Hermione laughed. "You won't regret it, I promise." Harry gave Neville a quizzical look as they left the Great Hall. Neville just smiled and gave him a wink, he was definitely up to something. The Trio made their way up to Gryffindor Tower, and Hermione led the way in a rush. She clearly wanted to get started on their homework, and Harry had no clue about what Nev was thinking. History of Magic is the most boring subject in existence. I don't want to waste my Sunday doing it. Once they were inside the common room, Hermione all but shoved them towards the boys' dorms.
"Nev, what are you playing at?" Harry asked his best friend as they made their way to their room.
"Did you see how happy she was?" Neville asked in return.
"Of course she was happy, Hermione loves homework" Harry replied.
"Exactly, Harry" Neville smiled. "We just have to show Hermione that she doesn't need Weasley. That we can study with her instead."
"Oh…" Harry mumbled. "Nev… That's brilliant!"
"Thanks…" Neville said with a faint blush. Neville then opened the door to their room, and they both stepped in. Harry's eyes almost popped out of his head when he saw the state of their room. It looked like it had been pillaged by barbarians! Every trunk was flung open, clothes were scattered all over the floor, their beds had been turned over, their desk drawers were hanging open, and Harry's cloak lay ripped at his feet.
"What happened in here?!" Harry exclaimed.
"It looks like someone was searching for something…" Neville muttered, he had gone pale in the face. Harry's stomach tightened, and he immediately ran to his bed. Harry lay down on the ground, and then he put his head under the four poster bed. NO! Where is it?! Harry's eyes searched frantically in the dark, but it didn't matter… The Diary was gone…
"Harry? What is it?" came Neville's voice, and Harry came out from under his bed. He looked at his best friend with a shocked stare.
"Riddle's Diary… It's gone…" Harry muttered, and Neville blanched.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: And there it is! Some big changes have happened from the Canon!Timeline. Riddle never got to speak with Harry, and that is a massive change. If you've read the books, then you know just how much Harry learned about the Chamber from Riddle. Let's see where the story goes from here!
See you all soon!